Penny Pritzker 'open for business' as Commerce secretary

Chicagoan in Obama Cabinet laments shutdown

Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker talks about her "open for business" sign on her office door Friday in Washington. (Ryan Rayburn / for the Chicago Tribune)

WASHINGTON — Penny Pritzker hung an "Open for Business" sign on her door when she took the reins of the Commerce Department in June, then took that message on the road, visiting 10 states and several Asian nations to promote U.S. job growth and exports.

During the recent 16-day government shutdown, about 30,000 of her nearly 47,000 employees were furloughed, and the Commerce secretary from Chicago was forced to delay a planned trade mission to Mexico from later this year into next year. Even her "Open for Business" sign reflected the disruption — it was flipped over until the shutdown ended last week.

Speaking Friday in an interview with reporters from the Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times, Pritzker said the shutdown was "unnerving" because morale had been on the upswing and Commerce officials had to tell thousands of staffers they weren't "essential."

"How horrible," she said. "These people are working hard and they're trying to do a good job and they want to do a good job. … They're looking to be led."

President Barack Obama was forced to postpone his Asia trip this month and stay behind to deal with the shutdown. Pritzker went to Asia without him, attending meetings in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, where she said the most frequent question was, "What's going on?"

"It's raised a lot of questions," she said. "And I don't think we can afford this. … It's not good for American business. It's not good for American government."

Before Pritzker was sworn, the Commerce Department hadn't had a confirmed secretary for a year. The 54-year-old business executive and Democratic mega-donor said her mantra when she entered the public sector was: "I'm all in."

Pritzker has worked in the hotel industry, real estate, banking and investments and in several philanthropic pursuits. One of the country's wealthiest women, Pritzker is worth an estimated $2.2 billion, according to Forbes.

A triathlete, she rises as early as 5:30 a.m., exercises, does "homework" and typically works from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., often with a business dinner afterward.

Living in temporary quarters in Washington now, she just closed on a Georgian mansion — news reports said it cost $7.95 million — that she hopes will be ready by Thanksgiving. She said she's spent only about seven nights in Chicago since her nomination in May.

She returned Sept. 10 to celebrate her 25th anniversary with her husband, ophthalmologist Bryan Traubert. They renewed their vows under the Tiffany stained-glass dome in the Chicago Cultural Center, where they wed. Singers performed her wedding songs: "Love is Here to Stay" and "I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock and Roll.)"

Traubert will remain president of the Chicago Park District Board of Commissioners and live in Chicago, she said.

Pritzker was home last weekend, watching son Don, who works in investment banking in New York, finish the Chicago Marathon in less than three hours. A daughter, Rose, attends Harvard, where Pritzker was an undergrad before receiving a law degree and MBA from Stanford.

The Pritzker family, whose wealth is derived in part from Hyatt Hotels, real estate developments and an industrial conglomerate, includes at least 10 billionaires.

One is Pritzker's first cousin Jennifer Pritzker, who was formerly known as James Pritzker but announced over the summer a change in identity from male to female. Penny Pritzker said she and Jennifer had a "most wonderful email exchange" at the time and are in touch. "I'm happy if she's happy," Penny Pritzker said.

On the official front, she went on a "listening tour" during the summer in 10 states, meeting about 350 business leaders and visiting Commerce Department facilities. The agency takes in the Census Bureau, the National Weather Service, and the Trade and Patent Office, among others.

Though the tour is over, Pritzker said she's still listening. She noted that business leaders are clear about they want: trade, free-trade pacts, immigration reform and better infrastructure, both to facilitate supply chains and ease employees' commutes.

She said working for Obama was "terrific" and called the Cabinet an "amazing" and "collaborative" group.

The pinch-me moment came when Obama invited her to a small working dinner at the White House and while at the Colonnade near the Oval Office, she gazed at the Washington Monument and realized that she wasn't just a visitor. "I'm supposed to be here," she said she told herself. "I have a job to do."

She remains close to Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "I love the mayor and he loves me," she said. He advised her to be clear at Commerce about what she wants and "go out and do it."

The coming weeks will be key for Pritzker at Commerce. The department will roll out a strategic plan, and at the end of the month is holding a SelectUSA Investment Summit to boost foreign investment in the U.S. It will draw economic development officials from 47 states and representatives of more than 70 countries, aides said.

While on her listening tour in New Orleans, Pritzker was given a rusty piece of folk art that urges: "Trust your crazy ideas." She said she favors discussions with a "no bad ideas" segment so that people don't edit their aspirations, because sometimes even bad ideas may spark good ones.

A crazy idea to which she isn't warm: running for office. To hear her tell it, when her time at Commerce is up, it's back to commerce — with a small "c."